Someone tried to steal my Teardrop Camper this weekend...

[Synthesis]

AND I WAS IN IT!

I attended a car show in Northwestern Minnesota this last weekend.

I pulled out of the campground bright and early on Sunday morning after doing a light, chain and hitch check, and drove until I couldn't keep my eyes open.

I parked in the middle of a large empty parking lot in Wadena, MN, crawled into the camper with the two pooches and set my alarm for four hours.

I was woken up by the sound of a vehicle door slamming. I pulled the shade off the window and looked outside in time to see a truck peeling away from next to my car.

I thought that was odd, and opted to get up.
I got out of the camper, stretched a little bit, and looked down at the hitch to find the chains had been removed from the car and wrapped over the top of the tongue, as well as the light harness.

My tongue hitch lock is the only thing that saved me from being kidnapped!

I have black curtains over my windows to block light. I bet they tried to peek in and didn't see anything. I must have rolled over or something, enough to cause the camper to move, because I know it is close to sound proof inside and out. I slept through a party on Friday night at the campground, and I am a very light sleeper.

Anyone else ever have something like this happen?

[absolutsnwbrdr]

Wow man! I've read a couple threads on here, where people have come back to their trailer and found signs of tampering, but never almost being kidnapped!

Good thing you had that lock! Better leave a porch light on next time!

[Woodbutcher]

WOW, you're a lucky guy. Thanks God for the lock. But think of it this way, someone thought you did a nice job on your Teardrop. So much so they wanted to steal it!

[kirkman]

Gad to here you made it out unharmed. I can just imagine your phone call to the police if they had succeeded in hooking up you camper. Hello my dogs and I have just bin kidnapped and are driving down the 201 in my camper hooked to a unknown car/truck. I think we are headed west can you come help!.... Can you imagine the look on there faces after they got puled over and you climbed out.

[green_eyed_diablito]

Damn!!!! I'm glad your rig wasn't stolen, but I'm happiest that you weren't hurt.

I hate thieves.

[pete42]

I always worried someone would break into my truck while I slept in my travel trailer so I bought a driveway-alarm stucked it on rear seat back it's a 4 door f150 so far so good.

same thoughts except upstairs in a motel I placed the alarm in truck everything went fine untill 3 am when the police started making their rounds

their radio or speed radar made the alarm go off

this happened twice in one hour so I finally shut the receiver off in the room.

I am glad you and the puppies are ok.

pete.

[Larry C]

Wow,
I hope you had your 2 friends with you...Smith & Wesson

Most Tears have a 12v battery hanging off the tongue. I wonder if an electric fencer unit could be attached to the coupler without grounding it. That may give some idiot a good surprise

That same unit could also be handy in bear country camping.

Larry C

[planovet]

or

[the other side]

Tell the 2 pooches they have to earn their keep!

Reminds me of that movie that Whoopi Goldberg was in, when she called the police and said she was a black woman in a box (or something like that). She was in a phone booth getting dragged down the road by a truck, and called the police from the phone booth.

[starleen2]

Geez - I had dreams like that - but never had it happened. I also have "Friends" that would would possibly do something like that as a gag - but not for real. Glad you're OK

[Wolffarmer]

Wow,
I hope you had your 2 friends with you...Smith & Wesson

Most Tears have a 12v battery hanging off the tongue. I wonder if an electric fencer unit could be attached to the coupler without grounding it. That may give some idiot a good surprise

That same unit could also be handy in bear country camping.

Larry C

Electric fencers need to be grounded, and usually with more than just laying a hunk of wire on the ground. A large nail would usually work, unless the ground is dry. And driving one into an asphalt pad could be hard, and frowned upon by the owners of said asphalt pad. And would it work anyway in asphalt? I don't know as I have never ran fences in parking lots.

Good to know you and pooches are safe and able to tell the tail.
Randy

[planovet]

I also have "Friends" that would would possibly do something like that as a gag - but not for real.

Hmmmmmmmm.

[Wild Bill]

Really suprised that they did not try to take your car as well. As far as the electric fence, I would forget it was there and get the shock intended for the thief. Good reason to have a lock on even when you are parked and hooked up. I like the Beretta Idea as well, but would just hate to put a hole in the wall of the teardrop, in an attempt to stop some thief, would be better to ride it out and wait for them to stop and get a better look at what they just stole. Now that would be much better, less colateral damage and you get to see the last look on their face before you shoot them! Now I know that these statements are pushing the envelope of all the kind hearted, non violent anti gun folks out there that would rather be killed by some thug than kill one, so I will end this post before it gets me in trouble. Bill

[Roly Nelson]

Parking in a secluded spot can sometimes be frightful. Glad you survived and are safe. It just reinforces my committment to continue to remove the tongue and stick it in the car trunk when danger is about. BTW, you might want to pick up a can of Raid Wasp and Hornet spray. It'll shoot 22 feet, will stop unwanted attackers instantly, and best of all, you can't be charged with murder if the guy just stopped by to ask directions.
Roly.

[Betsey]

I parked in the middle of a large empty parking lot in Wadena, MN, crawled into the camper with the two pooches and set my alarm for four hours.

I was woken up by the sound of a vehicle door slamming. I pulled the shade off the window and looked outside in time to see a truck peeling away from next to my car.

I thought that was odd, and opted to get up.
I got out of the camper, stretched a little bit, and looked down at the hitch to find the chains had been removed from the car and wrapped over the top of the tongue, as well as the light harness.

My tongue hitch lock is the only thing that saved me from being kidnapped!

Sorry this happened to you...Wadena is a really nice town...the mayor is a good friend of ours...stuff like this is NOT typical for Wadena.

Glad to hear everything turned out okay. Thank heavens for the hitch lock!

Betsey